Chapter 80: A New Beginning, An Old War
The sun hadn’t even risen properly, its first, faint fingers of light barely touching the highest spires of the Academy, but I was already awake. Not because of nightmares, not because of a blaring system alert, but because of a small, quiet presence that had fundamentally altered the landscape of my life.
Yumi.
Dressed by Masha in a simple but elegant powder-blue dress that made her snow-white hair seem even brighter, she looked less like a child and more like a porcelain doll come to life. Her rose-pink eyes, usually so wide with a quiet, cautious curiosity, were now sparkling with a nervous excitement. Today was her first day at The Little Sprouts Sanctuary.
I lifted her into my arms, her small frame surprisingly light, and placed her gently on the front of my bike. She gripped the handlebars tightly, her small knuckles white.
"Are you scared?" I asked, my voice a low murmur as I started the engine.
"A little," she admitted, her voice a tiny whisper against the powerful hum of the bike. "But I’m excited too."
I dropped her off at the gates of the small, ivy-covered school, a world away from the cold, imposing grandeur of Ashborn Academy. The air here smelled of cinnamon and old books, a stark contrast to the scent of ozone and ambition that clung to my own school.
"I’ll be gone for about a week," I told her, crouching down to meet her gaze. "A mission for the Academy."
Her lower lip trembled slightly. "Will you come back?"
"Always," I said, my voice firm, a promise I intended to keep. "I’ll be back before you know it. And I expect a full report on everything you’ve learned."